We found the person who gets really worked up when MD/VA people say they're "from DC"

[Anonymous]

Either you live in DC or not. Why is it difficult to say the name of where you do. You can always say, its near DC.

[Anonymous]

Everyone knows White House but you are not going to say you live there because no one would know your suburban subdivision's name.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Have you ever encountered a DC resident saying “I’m from Maryland” or “I’m from Northern Virginia”?

In my experience, DC residents simply say where they are from; loving it or not loving it, they simply provide the place of residence as indicated on their drivers license.

Despite everyone in the world being aware of Maryland and Virginia, you do find Maryland/Virginia residents say “I’m from DC”.

I don’t know what to conclude from this distinction. The distinction is real though.

Yeah, as a DC resident I'm not offended when people from other states say they are from DC, I just don't really get it. How hard is it to say "the DC area" or "near DC" or "just outside DC"? Why wouldn't you just say that if for some reason you did not want to say "Maryland" or "Virginia"?

Because we work in dc, we are there every weekend, and the dc suburbs are very different than say Virginia Beach. And no one cares. When someone asks this, it’s small talk. The general area is fine.

Still, you have to admit this sounds strange. If you work in Maryland, spend weekends in Maryland, but reside in Virginia, would you say you live in Maryland? Of course not.

I live in DC. When I worked in Virginia, when making small talk I didn't tell people I lived in Virginia.

Are you being willfully obtuse? If you live in a suburb of Baltimore and the bartender in Vegas asks where you’re from, do you name the suburb or say “Baltimore”?

Dc is just different because it’s tiny and has suburbs over state lines.

I'm from a suburb of Boston. I say "south of Boston." I don't say Boston, because I'm not a weirdo.

You must be far south. Are people in Leesburg saying “DC”? Doubt it. I’ve been attacked by you obsessives for calling McLean and Arlington “dc” while traveling. That’s weird.

The PP before you is right. You shouldn’t say DC. It’s icky to claim

Nobody is claiming anything, it's just an approximation.

+1 “Claiming” is bizarre. They’re so oddly possessive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone knows White House but you are not going to say you live there because no one would know your suburban subdivision's name.

people are asking "where do you live", not "what is your address"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fair is fair. You’re not from DC. I can tell most of the time straight away; even before asking where do you live? What do you then, lie?

It does reflect not so great on the original claimant. I noticed people smirk, and I know a number of people who won’t date people who are like that. It does suggest an inferiority complex.

Context matters. No one is telling a coworker here that they live in DC when they live in Burke. That’s silly.

But when you’re traveling and someone makes small talk or a tour guide asks where you’re from, “DC” means the DC area. Good enough.

Of you can’t see the difference, you’re oddly obsessed and you are the one with an insecurity issue.

[Anonymous]

No it does not. You’re from DC or not. It’s really embarrassing when you pretend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No it does not. You’re from DC or not. It’s really embarrassing when you pretend.

+1. I don’t get it. Say you are from Fairfax, VA or Potomac, MD or wherever and if people ask where is that then you can flow up and say right outside of DC.

Or say the suburbs of DC in Fairfax, VA

Why would you say DC if you don’t live in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fair is fair. You’re not from DC. I can tell most of the time straight away; even before asking where do you live? What do you then, lie?

It does reflect not so great on the original claimant. I noticed people smirk, and I know a number of people who won’t date people who are like that. It does suggest an inferiority complex.

Context matters. No one is telling a coworker here that they live in DC when they live in Burke. That’s silly.

But when you’re traveling and someone makes small talk or a tour guide asks where you’re from, “DC” means the DC area. Good enough.

Of you can’t see the difference, you’re oddly obsessed and you are the one with an insecurity issue.

You are making assumptions when you say DC that people know you mean the DC area. Why don’t you just say DC area then?

[Anonymous]

Years ago I met Katie Curic. I tried to start up small talk with her (it was literally just the two of us in a waiting area) and I said “ I believe we are from the same neck of the woods.” She asked where I was from. I said “Bethesda, MD”. She looked at me and rudely said, “That’s not close, I was in Arlington, VA!” I was shocked and luckily quickly rescued.

[Anonymous]

If I'm not living in NYC, I won't say IN NYC. I'll say NEAR NYC.

[Anonymous]

Precisely

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I'm not living in NYC, I won't say IN NYC. I'll say NEAR NYC.

No you don’t. Because then they say “oh where, Jersey? Connecticut? And the point of answering as vaguely as possible is to stop the small talk.

[Anonymous]

Never in my life have I met anyone answer the question “where are you from” with “near… “. never.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I'm not living in NYC, I won't say IN NYC. I'll say NEAR NYC.

No you don’t. Because then they say “oh where, Jersey? Connecticut? And the point of answering as vaguely as possible is to stop the small talk.

exactly. You did not answer the question and you are making the conversation awkward by being too technical. this is not supposed to be a discussion.

[Anonymous]

Pick your lane. You complain about DC and decamp for the suburbs to escape it, but then won’t name the suburban “paradise” you moved to? Why not shout that cultured locale full of life from the rooftops?

Anyway, who cares, we can tell most of the time, you’re just embarrassing yourselves. It’s like claiming to be from Manhattan when you’re from Dumbo.